Electric connection



(No Modei.) 4

l G. J. VAN DEPOELE.

ELECTRIC CONNECTION. No. 429,745.

Patented June 10, 1890.

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CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC CQNNECTIVON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,745, dated June 10, 1890.

Ap lication filed August15, 1889. Serial No. 320,881. (Nomodcl) description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to electric railways, and is in the nature of an improvement on or a development of the invention covered by Letters Patent No. 403,010, gran ted to me May The nature and object of the invention consist in the permanent establishment of good metallic connections between the ends of railroad-rails.

The invention relates particularly to the now well-known girder-rail used on streetrailways, but has also in view the well-known T-rail. It is also applicable to any form of rail the extremities of which are united by fish-plates secured laterally thereto.

The invention consists in interposing between the fish-plates and the ends of the rails to be electrically connected a plate or strip of non-corrosive metal, between which and the iron or steel no galvanic action will take place. Various metals have been tried for this purpose; but I find that zinc or sheet metal coated therewith answers the purpose much better than anything else that has been attempted, although tin may be used with good results. Furthermore, zinc is not expensive, and, being a soft and ductile mate rial, is capable of being manipulated with the greatest facility when used for my present purpose. Furthermore, soft metals like zinc or tin are easily forced into position when the bolts in the fish-plate are screwed up, and will improve the joints between the fish-plates and the ends of the rails and act to exclude water therefrom. Rails united in this manner have given the greatest satisfaction when connected in an electric circuit. A common way of uniting railroad-rails to render them metallically continuous is to drill holesone in each end thereof-then to insert a copper rivet, and then to unite the copper rivets by a strong piece of copper conductor, soldering all joints. This while fairly effective is ob viously tedious and expensive, whereas the present invention dispenses with all special work, substituting pieces, strips, or plates of soft metal therefor, through which holes may be punched with the greatest facility to receive the fish-plate bolts, all necessity for special tools during the operation of tracklaying being dispensed with. Furthermore, an old roadway might very easily be connected up for my present purpose by simply loosening the fish-plates, inserting the jointplates, and replacing and seen ring them without removing the rail.

Means for carrying out my invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, and will be hereinafter set forth, and referred to in the appended claims. M

In the drawings, F gure 1 is a View in elevation showing a portion of a railway-track to which my invention is applied. Fig. 2 an end view of Fig. 1, showing portions of two rails electrically connected according to my invention. Fig. 3 is an endview showing a T-rail. Fig. l is a sectional plan view showing the fish-plates and joint-plates in position.

1n the drawings, A B are two consecutive rails of a railway-track mounted upon suitable cross-ties C. D are the fish-plates, by which the ends of the said rails are mechanically united, being clamped thereto by suitable bolts b.

E is a plate of soft non-corrosive metal, as zinc or its electrical equivalent, which is interposed between the fish-plates and the ends of the rails, thereby prevent-ing corrosion and maintaining a good electrical connection between consecutive rails.

In Fig. 3 T-rails A B are substituted for the guide-rails in other figures. Fig. 4 applies equally to either form of rail.

The application of the invention to various forms of rail is shown in the preceding figures and will be obvious as to others.

The electrically'connected rails may be connected together, if desired, by spanning-conductors, as pointed out in my said prior patent.

I am aware that it is not broadly new to connect the extremities of railway-rails for the purpose of using them as a circuit or part of a circuit in railway-signalin IOC I am also aware that it has been proposed to increase the conductivity of a rail-circuit by arranging insulated conductors along the sides of the rails and removing the insulation from said conductors for a length equivalent to that of the plate and placing them between the fish-plates and rails at the points of junction. The object of said arrangement is, however, different from what I have in view.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. A circuit of conductors,composed in part of the rails of a railway-track, said rails being united at their extremities by strips of soft non-corrosive metal, as zinc or tin, rigidly clamped against the metal of which the rails are composed.

2. A circuit of conductors, comprising the consecutive rails of a railway-track and means for electrically connecting said rails, consisting of a plate of soft non-corrosive metal, as zinc or tin, rigidly clamped against the metal of which the rails are composed and electric ally connecting their consecutive ends.

3. A circuit of conductors, composed in part of the consecutive rails of an electric railway 

